Monthly Archives: July 2012

I have been watching with great interest this whole spectacle about whether or not to eat at Chik-Fil-A or not on August 1st, 2012. Both groups have turned this into a bonanza for the restaurant. It’s a win/win situation…..for the restaurant! I’m thinking of all the free advertising they are recieving: WIN! I’m also looking at all the Lefty’s who plan on eating at the restaurant on that day as a show of solidarity and for standing up to the liberal agenda: again…a WIN for the restaurant! I’m sure I am missing many other twists and turn to this story but I really feel the restaurant CEO is either a genius or a madman or both.

Now, I have never eaten at Chik-Fil-A nor do I ever intend to. But it’s not because I agree or disagree with their philosophies but because I have a feeling I would really like it and the last thing I need to do is to become addicted to another fast food chain. In my neck of the woods there is only one Chik-Fil-A in this area and it is about 20 minutes away.

There was a time when White Castle Hamburgers were the thing to travel out of your way for. Those tiny little biscuit shaped hamburgers that were scrumtious bites of grease and dehydrated onions. I cannot tell you how many times as a young person I would jump in the car with the boys and we would make our “mecca” trip to Hammond to eat those tasty little treats. As we got older, I noticed that White Castle expanded and the distance between them was growing shorter. It is another right of passage when you turn drinking age to head to the “Porcelain Palace” (just another nickname for White Castle) and guzzle down a few dozen burgers to rest on that belly full of beer. What great stories of puking those square little beef pies in the parking lot after a night of Olympic drinking! Ah, yes the memories!

Okay, now back to the chicken thingy. Here’s my thought: On Wednesday, August 1st 2012, i am going to my butcher and buying a huge chicken to roast on my grill. I would advise you to do the same. I’m also going to invite friends over for dinner so that we can sit around a table without the clutter of people rushing in and out of a restaurant. I will avoid eating the processed chicken that has been placed on a mass produced bun. I will eat chicken that is one of ‘dem range chicken. You know….organic…no chemicals. I’m going to peel potatoes and make real mashed potatoes instead of deep fried sticks. I am going to delight my company by doing something we all have forgotten to do and that is to cook. I will not be talking about politics and hating someone else’s religious or other beliefs.

Instead I will be creating a long lasting memory spent with good friends and good food.

My father is turning 88 years old on Friday July 27th. As I reflect on his life I can only say that he has been the most resilient of all his good friends. I say that because most of his good friends have now passed on. He has also outlived all his brothers. I say this not to brag but to just state the facts. My father’s mother lived to the great age of 93! I just wonder how long God will allow us to have him around. When people ask me how he’s doing, my first reaction is, “why don’t you go see him?” I would say it with a smile but it also has a cutting seriousness. As someone who goes to nursing homes I see the loneliness of so many people who have been storehoused. Out of sight, out of mind. Even I have to remember that he is there and it’s not going to kill me to pop in for a few minutes.

It’s just like I call my mother every day. sometimes twice a day. When I have told people this they say “WHY?” and I always reply, “because I can!” The only redeeming fact I can rely on is that my dad gets excellent care by a hard working staff. That is a difficult vocation and if you do not love the elderly then maybe you shouldn’t work there. I always teasingly say that I speak “senior citizen.” There is an honest truth to that. Sometimes our aged loved ones don’t always grasp concepts and it requires extra time and patience to reassure our beloved’s that all is well.

On Saturday I am having a birthday party for him. Sister Sue is driving down from Minneapolis to be here. I’ve invited dad’s sisters and have tried to get the word out to the cousins. It will be a simple celebration. I made some taco meat and fried some tostada shells. We’ll probably have the staples of beans and rice; the usual! Our simple ancestral foods that never cease to delight us. We will create a memory and it will give papa a chance to bust out of the home. It will be some simple down time. Time to smile, relax and be with one another while we are still here. There will be a day when even those present will only be a memory. Happy Birthday Papa! I love you!